Heineken, one of the world’s most popular beer brands, teams up with Edinburgh International Film Festival and Unique Events, organisers of Drive-in Movies at the Edinburgh Airport, to offer a free non-alcoholic Heineken beer to all Designated Drivers enjoying a screening of a 15+ rated film as part of this month’s Halloween-themed Drive-in Movies.
The Halloween edition of Drive-in Movies takes place between 29 October and 1 November and features a frightfully exquisite selection of titles such as The Lost Boys, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Scream and Donnie Darko, among others.
The screening of horror classic Halloween is already sold-out and with limited tickets available for all other screenings, organisers are advising to book fast to avoid disappointment.
With the pre-screening entertainment including karaoke, quizzes with spot prizes and best costume competition – all hosted by Edinburgh DJ Stuart Calverto who transforms into Count Calverto for the night – Drive-in Movies offers safe and fun Halloween entertainment all from the warmth and comfort of your own car.
Struggling with Halloween ideas? Fear (no) more – Drive-in Movies at Edinburgh Airport offers the best Halloween entertainment for people of all ages in a safe, family-friendly environment!
Sarah Drummond and Louise Montgomery enjoy a Drive-in screening of Scream with the Ghostface himself… PIC: Lloyd Smith
Featuring a spine-chilling selection of family favourites, cult classics and blockbusters, Drive-in Movies at Edinburgh Airport transports its audiences into a fright-filled world of cinema this Halloween!
The event takes place between Thursday 29 October and Sunday 1 November and presents 12 fantastic horror classics to choose from, including The Lost Boys, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jaws and Scream, plus family favourites Hocus Pocus, E.T, Coco, Ghostbusters and much more – all in a safe, socially-distant, outdoor environment with strict health and safety measures in place.
The pre-screening entertainment includes Halloween-themed sing along, film quiz with spot prizes, competition for best costumes and carved pumpkins displayed on the dashboard, all run by the event’s MC, Edinburgh DJ Stewart Calverto who becomes Count Calverto …
Edinburgh’s Drive-in Movies truly is the place to go for Halloween fun this year!
The number of people travelling through Edinburgh Airport over the normally busy summer months has fallen by 91% due to the impact of Covid-19.
785,000 people passed through the airport between April and September, down from 8.4 million in 2019 and well down on initial 2020 estimates of 8.8 million made at the end of last year. The ever-changing situation and near constant changes to quarantine exemptions means forecasting for 2021 is almost impossible.
The numbers demonstrate the stark situation the aviation industry is in, the huge challenge it faces to recover and the importance of finding solutions to aid the airport’s recovery.
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult time for all of us and the scale of the recovery challenge that faces us is now really hitting home. These figures highlight the huge impact Covid-19 has had and continues to have, something that is being felt across the travel and tourism industries and the economy as a whole.
“Scotland’s recovery will be protracted and tough, and the aviation industry will face similar challenges to ensure it can reconnect the country to the world. There are still many unknowns which make that difficult to chart.”
The airport has previously confirmed the unfortunate loss of almost a third of its workforce due to the continued impact of Covid-19 and the quarantine policy that is in place. Talks continue with the Scottish Government on the prospect of a robust testing regime and the possibility of a pilot scheme to evaluate risk mitigation and protection of public health.
Gordon Dewar added: “We have spent years building growth in our passengers, routes and infrastructure, so to see all of that fall back is a concerning position for us to be in. Losing valued friends and colleagues has been difficult for us and we still face an uncertain future as we continue to grapple with this awful virus.
“Our own recovery will be difficult – we do not expect to break even until 2021 and we face tough choices to ensure we protect as many jobs as we can, and that will always be our main focus. Our business plans have been in a constant state of flux due to circumstances worsening, the introduction of and constant changes to quarantine, and of course all of this feeds into passenger confidence.
“We need to see a robust testing regime which will protect public health, provide reassurance and see travel and tourism begin to rebuild.”
The First Minister has said at her daily press briefings and in the Chamber that any life lost to Covid-19 is the loss of someone’s loved one and should rightfully be recognised as such.
Protecting public health has rightfully been the focus of the government’s strategy and we have always been clear that we understand the need to do that and have supported that work which is absolutely paramount at any time, not just during a pandemic. Airports and their process have safety at their core.
However, absolutely paramount at any time is also a strong economy, one that allows government to protect livelihoods, improve the lives of people and further Scotland’s ambitions and credentials at home and abroad.
Last night (02/09/20) I listened to your comments on STV and was dismayed to hear you say that although you were concerned about the impact of Covid-19 and quarantine on the aviation industry, “We can bring the economy back to life, we just can’t bring people back to life.”
Cabinet Secretary, I am sorry that you felt that such a comparison was appropriate. No-one in aviation has advocated trading lives for the economy, and it is unhelpful to be using anyone’s loss to make a political point that side-steps or ignores our open request for engagement in seeking better policies.
In all our engagement with your Government, we have agreed that health measures must be what we build policy around. It has never been in question because business aside, we are human beings first and foremost and we know the true cost of Covid-19.
But this isn’t a binary choice as you have seemed to suggest. It is not a choice between public health or the economy. It is not a choice because we need to do both if Scotland is to rebound and recover.
The First Minister’s Programme for Government this week made promises on jobs, especially the jobs guarantee for young people. That is an ambitious policy planning for Scotland’s future and that is to be commended but, and I’m sorry to be so blunt, you can’t guarantee anyone access to jobs that don’t exist. A strong economy will be key to this and is exactly why the Scottish Government needs to support businesses in sustaining and creating jobs if such promises are to come to fruition.
As an airport, we are a facilitator of many things, from business and tourism to education, research and culture, and all these things are drivers of economic activity. But we’re also one business in Scotland’s economy and there are many more who want to help and who want support from the government to get the recovery started.
Yes, rates relief your Government has put in place has of course been welcome, something we have said in public and in private. And yes, we know that it isn’t available in England or Wales. But what is and isn’t available in other parts of the UK is not our concern – saving Scotland’s aviation and travel industry and rebuilding our economy is.
A quarantine policy that is a travel ban in all but name makes this incredibly difficult, if not impossible. It is ineffective and unworkable as your own figures show and it is having a damning impact on a range of industries. If this is the path the Scottish Government is to continue down then there are some incredibly dark days ahead. I only have to look at my own business to see the real impact it is having. Saying goodbye to 250 colleagues through no fault of their own was one of the toughest experiences in my career. I don’t want others to have to do the same.
If we are to live with Covid-19 for months and years to come then this is simply not a sustainable approach. We need a robust testing regime that protects public health and provides confidence and reassurance to those who need and wish to travel.
We have to manage and mitigate the risk in the best way possible, and that simply has to be a dual approach with balanced attention given to health and prosperity.
Decisions taken now will have an enduring impact on the many quality jobs our industry supports up and down the country, and – if those are too cautious and short-sighted decisions, will significantly undermine the county’s future connectivity and competitiveness.
We are ready, willing and able to help design better systems and processes to protect the health of passengers and staff. We and our colleagues at AGS have spoken with the National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch to explore how best to partner with the Scottish Government on testing. We’re hopeful that our ideas are being listened to and we have a tentative path forward.
We have great respect for the First Minister’s leadership through this health crisis. However, we urge you to make good her words in recognising that the economic emergency is of equal importance to the health crisis.
The aviation and travel industries are not too big to fail. If the Scottish Government position remains as it stands, you are putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk in aviation the next few months alone. The knock-on risks to our tourism sector are even more profound and we would hope you might reflect carefully on our concerns and respond accordingly.
We urge you to reconsider your approach and work with us to find a way to protect public health and rebuild our economy. It is in Scotland’s best interest to do both.
Edinburgh International Film Festival and Unique Events, organisers of Edinburgh’s brand new Drive In Movies event, have hailed the opening weekend a huge success.
Over 4,000 people flocked to Edinburgh Airport to experience a 4-day outdoor cinema extravaganza, supported by Edinburgh Live, for people of all ages which included family favourites, all-time classics and thrilling blockbusters.
PIC: Lloyd Smith
Tickets for the next Drive-in Movies (24 – 27 September) are now on sale at edinburghdrivein.co.uk with another packed programme of cinema classics including Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mamma Mia! Rocketman, Toy Story and Mean Girls, among others.
The opening weekend of Drive-in Movies saw thousands of people from Edinburgh and Lothians enjoying a fantastic outdoor cinematic experience in the comfort of their own vehicles and in the unique surroundings of Edinburgh Airport.
Strictly following the health and safety regulations and the Scottish Government’s advice, Drive-in Movies offered a safe and fun environment for people of all ages to experience what was the first post-lockdown outdoor event for many.
A top-notch selection of films was shown on a state of the art 100sqm LED screen, one of the largest mobile screens in the world with the audio broadcast straight to cars, for audiences to control the soundtrack.
Audiences sang along to Sunshine on Leith and Grease, shed a tear at Up, fell in love during William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet and enjoyed the planes landing and taking off nearby which was a particular treat at the screenings of Con Air and Airplane!
Prior to each film, audiences had a chance to sample some of the best fish and chips in the country from seafood specialists Alandas and those not behind the wheel, Edinburgh-based award-winning brewery’s Cold Town Beer.
Nairn’s Oatcakes distributed their ever-so-popular Oat Bars as a special treat for families who came to see Up and Mary Poppins Returns. Popular Edinburgh DJ Stewart Calverto became Captain Calverto as he warmed up the crowds with car disco and quizzes with spot prizes.
PIC: Lloyd Smith
Audiences took to social media to share their views of the event:
‘Great afternoon at #Edinburghdrivein @EdinburghAirpo1 Brilliantly presented by @UniqueEventsltd and @edfilmfest’
‘Had an epic time tonight at seeing alien at #EdinburghDriveIn, great set up’
‘brilliant night out at #EdinburghDriveIn’
‘Dreamy night at the drive-in. Thank you for the brilliant escape @edfilmfest @UniqueEventsltd’
Drive-in Movies continues during the last weekend of every month for the rest of the year. September dates are confirmed as 24 to 27 September and the organisers are now pleased to reveal first titles for the event, an exciting selection of cult films and blockbusters: Back to the Future (1985) with some of the most recognisable lines and the inimitable Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, Big Trouble in Little China with Kurt Russell (1986), John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), all-time family favourite Toy Story (1995), teen comedy classic Mean Girls (2004), Drive (2011) with Ryan Gosling, and more recent hits, a homage to ABBA featuring Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia! (2008), Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman (2018), Incredibles 2 (2018) and Elton John’s biopic, Rocketman (2019).
A restructuring process at Edinburgh Airport due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry will see around a third of its workforce leave the business.
Following a lengthy and detailed consultation process with staff and unions, the airport has made the regrettable decision as it prepares for a prolonged recovery.
The airport directly employs 750 people and the redundancy process will begin today, covering all areas including frontline staff, management and support functions. The restructuring includes compulsory and voluntary redundancies across the business.
The airport consulted with staff and unions and its proposals on terms of redundancy were supported by more than 90% of people who took part in the ballot.
Colleagues who will unfortunately be made redundant will begin to receive letters as of 1 August and will leave the business on 31 October
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “This is a bitterly sad day for the airport and for those colleagues who are losing their jobs through no fault of their own but due to the impact of this dreadful pandemic.
“We have worked with unions and staff over the past four months to protect as many jobs as possible, but unfortunately we have to confirm this regrettable news as the business prepares for whatever comes next.
“Last year we welcomed a record 14.7 million people through our doors. This year we will be lucky to see a third of that and next year won’t be anywhere near where we have previously estimated so the business has to right size to be in a position to survive and recover when it can.”
The airport has used the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme over the past few months as it has carefully considered the best approach to its recovery. It has helped to retain jobs, but the upcoming closure of the scheme and uncertain recovery of aviation means jobs will still be lost.
Gordon Dewar added: “The furlough scheme has undoubtedly helped us to retain jobs and we are grateful for the UK Government’s support, as well as that of the Scottish Government through things like rates relief.
“Despite this, we continued to burn around £3.5 million a month as passenger numbers dropped dramatically and airlines drastically scaled back operations. It will be a very long road to recovery, and we cannot successfully make that journey while we are set up as a 15 million passenger airport.
“Aviation was one of the industries to be hit first and unfortunately will be one of the last to fully recover, so job losses have been unavoidable. The situation has been exacerbated by the introduction of an ill-thought out and unworkable blanket quarantine policy which has massively impacted on passenger numbers.
“Aviation jobs rely on passengers and flights. That has been lost in this argument and despite us working with unions to make the case for directed support, we are still waiting to find out what will be done to preserve these jobs which are crucial to any industry and economic recovery.
“Throughout the consultation we have striven to be fair, compassionate and seek an outcome that protects as many people as possible.
“We bitterly regret this necessity and all of our talented colleagues departing the business leave with our very best wishes. They are an incredibly talented workforce who have served Edinburgh Airport fantastically well and we will do what we can to help them find other employment. We are sorry to see them go.”
Lothians MSP Miles Briggs commented: “Edinburgh Airport have had no choice but to make these redundancies, because of the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry, and my thoughts are with employees who will be made redundant through no fault of their own.
“These job redundancies reinforce the importance of investing in the South East of Scotland to grow the economy and create more job opportunities.
“Employees who are being made redundant must be fully supported to find new roles and develop new skills for career changes until the aviation industry recovers.”
Organisers of the Drive-in Movies said: “We are delighted to be able to share with our audiences the first batch of titles to be screened as part of Drive-in Movies next month.
With a broad selection of timeless classics, family favourites and blockbusters, it truly offers something for everyone. We’re already working behind-the-scenes on the programme for the future events, but in the meantime book yourself a wild ride and we’ll see you at Edinburgh Airport for some cinema magic.”
The Drive-in Movies August line-up includes 13 films: classics such as Airplane!, cult titles like The Princess Bride, family-favourites including Up and recent hits like Get Out and MaryPoppins Returns.
Every month from August 2020 until January 2021, Drive-in Movies will welcome up to 250 cars at the Edinburgh Airport car park, offeringfilm fans of all ages a world-class cinematic experience in a safe, controlled environment.
Audiences are encouraged to book now at www.edinburghdrivein.co.uk for 27-30 August, the first weekend of Drive-in Movies.
More titles for the future events, including the second Drive-in Movies weekend (24 – 27 September), are to be announced in due course.
Line-up confirmed so far includes:
Thursday, 27 August
6pm – Sunshine on Leith (2013)
10pm – Get Out (2017)
Friday, 28 August
2pm – Grease (1978)
6pm – Airplane! (1980)
10pm – Con Air (1997)
Saturday, 29 August
10am – Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
2.15pm – Clueless (1995)
6pm – William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
10pm – Alien (1979)
Sunday, 30 August
10.30am – Up (2009)
2pm – The Princess Bride (1987)
5.45pm – La La Land (2017)
10pm – Dirty Dancing (1987)
The films will be shown on a state of the art 100sqm LED screen, one of the largest mobile screens in the world with the audio broadcast straight to cars, for audiences to control the soundtrack.
Audiences will be able to arrive up to 1 hour prior to the film’s starting to take part in a car disco with a playlist relating to the screening, along with an interactive on-screen quizwith spot prizes. Food and snacks will be available to purchase from a selection of local food suppliers who will have stalls on site.
With cars suitably distanced apart Drive-In Movies will be a safe environment for families and friends to enjoy an event, in line with government guidelines for outdoor events. Standard tickets priced at £35.00 per vehicle for up to 5 people, with a number of tickets being made available to EIFF’s community partners.
Drive-in Movies offer accessible toilets and food units. Please check listings for captioned screenings.
Edinburgh International Film Festival and Unique Events, the team behind the capital’s successful ‘Film Fest in the City’ outdoor cinema events have teamed up with Edinburgh Airport to produce a new monthly event for cinema fans throughout the rest of 2020.
From Wednesday 8 July those who have registered online at www.edfilmfest.org.uk will be the first to receive detailed film and ticket announcements and be able to book for these special events, which take-off on Friday 7 – Sunday 9 August, giving families and young film fans some end-of-school holiday fun, then taking place on the last weekend of each month from Thursday 27 -Sunday 30 August.
The film loaded weekends, programmed by the EIFF team, will see four screenings a day starting with a ‘Drive-In Kids Club’ at 10am, Family Favourites in the afternoon, an evening Blockbuster and a late-night screening of Cult Classics for grown-ups.
There will be special Halloween and Christmas screenings and activities in October and December. The films will be shown on a state of the art 100sqm LED screen, one of the largest mobile screens in the world with the audio broadcast straight to car radios, for audiences to control the soundtrack.
Pre-film activity will help to keep people entertained before the movie starts with on-screen movie quizzes, car discos, competitions and give-aways. Cinema food and snacks will be available to order and purchase pre-event and collected on arrival at the event, along with a selection of quality local food suppliers on-site to support local businesses.
With cars parked 2m apart Drive-In Movies will be a safe environment for families and friends to enjoy an event, in line with government guidelines for outdoor events. Standard tickets are expected to be priced at £35.00 per vehicle for up to 5 people, with a number of tickets being made available to EIFF’s community partners. Films will be captioned where possible.
Ken Hay, Chief Executive of Edinburgh International Film Festival said:“We’re delighted we’ve found a way to bring some great films to Edinburgh audiences despite the challenges we currently face.
“It’s not the Festival as we know it but still a way to bring a part of it to life this year. Film Fest in the City has been a very popular part of the Festival in recent years and working with Unique Events again we hope to be able to create that fun atmosphere at our new airport based Drive-In Movies starting with two fantastic weekends in August.”
Unique Events Directors Penny Dougherty & Alan Thomson said: “We’re thrilled to be producing this brand-new event for Edinburgh and continuing our successful partnership with EIFF to deliver another exhilarating outdoor cinema experience.
“Each month, the Drive-In Movies will let audiences get-away from it all, with a packed programme of classic cinema in a fun, safe environment for family and friends, whilst supporting local businesses and events.”
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:“Edinburgh is world renowned for its festivals and although things are a bit different at the moment, it’s important we all try to provide and hold on to little bits of normality where we can.
“We know that people are missing things they love to do such as heading off on holiday or trips to the cinema, so we are more than happy to try and provide a bit of both in one night.
“We’re looking forward to working with the EIFF and Unique to make this a success and see the Edinburgh Airport Drive-In really take-off!”
Key workers can now use the newly opened testing centre at Edinburgh Airport to confirm if they have the coronavirus.
A drive-through coronavirus testing facility has opened at Edinburgh Airport as part of the Government’s UK-wide drive to increase testing for thousands more NHS and other key workers.
The Edinburgh Airport site sits alongside a rapidly expanding network of testing sites being set up around the UK, and is operating on an appointment-only basis for NHS staff and other key workers. The facility will be piloted for its first few days of operation.
This follows the launch of the Government’s partnership with universities, research institutes and companies to begin rollout of the network of new ‘lighthouse’ labs and field testing sites across the UK, with 27 testing sites opened to date.
This network will provide thousands more PCR swab tests – which are used to identify if you currently have the virus – for critical key workers, starting with NHS front line staff. This means those who test negative for coronavirus can return to work as soon as possible, and those who test positive are able to recover.
The Edinburgh Airport testing centre is being operated in partnership with Sodexo, with Boots medical staff administering some tests and others being self-administered. Those tested will receive their results within 48 hours.
Health Minister Lord Bethell said: ““The UK Government is rapidly scaling up the national effort to boost testing capacity for coronavirus to protect the vulnerable, support our NHS, and ultimately save lives.
“This new service will help end the uncertainty of whether NHS and social care staff need to stay at home meaning those who test negative will be able to return to work.
“This is a national effort and we are proud to be working with a number of partners to turn this ambition into a reality and roll out additional capacity to where it is needed.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “This new testing centre at Edinburgh Airport, which is funded by the UK Government, will help key workers continue to do their lifesaving work and look after those who need it most.
“The UK Government has committed to expand our testing capacity right across the UK and this new centre is now one of three in Scotland. We will continue to work for everyone in the UK to save lives and protect our NHS.”
Professor John Newton, National Coordinator for the UK Coronavirus Testing Strategy, said: “New testing sites such as this one are a key pillar of our 5-pillar plan to scale up testing, and are critical in supporting NHS staff who are isolating at home to return safely to work if the test is negative.”
“This is a brilliant example of industries and businesses turning their resources to creating and rolling out mass testing at scale, which will help to deliver on our aim of carrying out 100,000 tests a day across the UK by the end of the month.”
A Boots UK Spokesperson said: “We feel incredibly proud to be supporting COVID-19 testing for critical workers in Edinburgh.
“Boots has been at the heart of UK healthcare for 171 years and has always come forward to support the community in times of need. Our team in Edinburgh is no exception. Some of our colleagues have already stepped forward to volunteer to run this COVID-19 testing station, which will start testing its first critical workers today.”
Sean Haley, regional chair of Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “Sodexo teams have moved quickly to set up COVID-19 testing centres as part of the industry-wide effort to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The opening of the Edinburgh Airport testing site will mean more frontline NHS and other staff can be tested and cleared to provide care to those who need it most. I am proud of our colleagues who are working together with pace and dedication to support the NHS.”
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “We understand that the coronavirus pandemic is a national issue that requires a national response, and we realise we have a role to play by offering up space that can be utilised for crucial testing.”
The Government is also urgently working on setting up a home-testing service for critical key workers, supported by Amazon’s logistics network and other commercial partners.
A consolidation plan to ensure that Edinburgh Airport remains open and operational during the coronavirus outbreak has been put into action. The news comes as the airport management enter talks with staff with a view to shedding at least 100 jobs.
Enforced travel bans across the world have resulted in airlines dramatically reducing their schedules to and from Scotland, directly impacting on passenger numbers at the airport.
There was a small drop in passengers in February with 935,455 passengers passing through the airport, which was 0.4% behind February 2019. However, the airport is predicting a period of zero or close to zero passenger demand.
To protect as many jobs possible and ensure the airport is open throughout, the airport will implement a ‘consolidation’ programme which will also form part of a recovery plan to ensure the airport is ready to return to full operations at the end of the outbreak. This plan includes:
Terminal consolidation with certain areas closed and the centralisation of operations
Deferring expenditure on some capital projects
Powering down high consuming energy items like elements of the baggage system and heating and cooling systems on parts of the airport that are closed
A number of retailers and food and beverage outlets suspending operations
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: “This is an unprecedented time not only for the aviation industry but for everyone as we all do what we can to ensure the health of ourselves and of those around us.
“For us, that includes the health of our airport. Our plan is based on keeping the airport open throughout and being there for those people who are still travelling and those staff members who are making that travel possible.
“We’re in a situation which is ever changing and as more countries enforce travel bans or special measures then it stands to reason that airlines will feel that impact and airports then feel that pain too.
“Unfortunately, that is happening now and we are trying to mitigate as best as we can and steer the airport through this situation in preparation for what comes next – and that is the biggest unknown in all of this.
“The airport is a facilitator of many things, that is our main role. Yes, we transport people around the world but it’s what those people bring that is the true value – they are our inward and outward tourists, they are our business leaders, they are our students and lecturers, they are our scientists and researchers. All of these things are important in the wider Scottish economy and we are doing what we can to ensure we are ready to return towards normal when the time comes.”
The airport has welcomed announcements by the UK and Scottish Governments on financial support for the sector through this situation.
Gordon Dewar added: “We welcome the collaboration there has been with both governments at this critical time but we will need continued support to ensure that the aviation industry is able to play its part in the country’s economic recovery.
“Along with other UK airports, we ask both governments to come together and show unity and support with the industry to help us weather this storm and come out of it still standing and ready to move forward again.”
